That Night He Died
by Glimare
Summary: One Shot: His world seemed to end when Kuu picked up the phone and heard the police telling him to pick up his son. Kuon's state... how was he going to help his beloved son?


**Disclaimer:** Me no own. Lawyers go away!

Okay, some scenes have been haunting my head for a bit so I had to get this out. I normally don't do many like this, but there's a little humor towards the end. Please enjoy. Sorry if you cry.

* * *

_**That Night He Died**_

Kuu Hizuri could hardly believe what was going on around him. The call from the police shook him to the core. Kuon was at the station? Assault and battery? An accident? Manslaughter? Nothing was really making sense to him. What he saw though when he got to the station scared him even more than the call.

Sitting listlessly in the interrogation room was his son, but there was no life in him. None at all. All he knew for certain was that he was breathing, but not as strongly as he last saw him.

His precious child was a doll. A horrified, blood covered doll.

"Tragic really. I've only seen people like that in war." The Sargent talking with him seemed hardnosed, but he was actually sympathetic to the teen. "Too many good people get pressured into doing bad things, and they snap. The younger they are, the worse it is."

"Kuon doesn't like hurting people," Kuu mumbled in his defense, his heart breaking as he looked through the glass. He was supposed to be in the room with him for questioning, but Kuon didn't respond to anyone. They were waiting for a doctor to arrive and see what they could do first.

"I can tell."

"Why is this happening?" He looked to the officer for answers, having none himself. The man sighed and shook his head, weathered by everything going on around him.

"My guess? Something's been building in your son for a while. Has he been secretive? Staying out late? Made interesting friends? Ditching school?"

"He's..." Kuu looked down, admitting what his son would not tell him. "He's been having trouble getting into the acting industry. I think... I think some of the others have been bullying him. I wanted to help, but he won't tell me anything."

Shaking his head, the Sargent sighed. "Figures. Getting into that field is hard, and it's even harder on kids. They eat each other alive in there, and screw themselves up so badly because of the stress."

"I'd never let Kuon-"

"It has nothing to do with letting. It happens." They looked back through the glass and the lifeless boy. "Bad things happen to good people who want to handle it themselves, building up enough hatred and darkness that they become the scariest people imaginable. My guess is, either last night or some time recently, your boy snapped and fought back so violently that he took out half a dozen teens easily.

"Physically your son seems to be... well, he has a few bruises and cuts that have started healing, so maybe he didn't start the fights. He sure finished them though. In an alleyway nearby, we found some kids knocked out and bleeding. They took a good pounding from your son there." He inclined his head to the glass, saddened by everything. "We don't have all the details, but from what Tina Farland told us, she and her fiancé, Rick Chambers, were trying to stop him. He really had snapped."

"Rick..." Pain surged through Kuu as he thought about what he heard earlier. His son's best, and maybe only, friend now laid in autopsy next door.

"She said Kuon was chasing after a hotshot he hadn't beaten into oblivion yet, and Rick ran after him. That's when the car hit Rick."

Silence overcame the two of them, sad that another life was over thanks to carelessness and anger. Breathing out, the officer kept explaining. "I think that snapped your son's mind a second time, ending his rampage. I've seen a lot of teens become violent and crazy due to stress and bullying, but it's only after they hit rock bottom that they stop. Something has to make them realize that they're not acting right. This... is not the way I would have wished it for him. The shock of the event turned him into this."

And there they had it. A teenaged boy who could not mentally handle everything he did or what happened to him preciously. Guilt, horror, shock, they all turned him into a blank canvas. Kuu's chest tightened at the sight, to the point it was hard to breathe. It wasn't even six months ago when he took him camping and found the kid making friends with local deer. He was too kind a soul to be subjected to such a harsh life.

Why didn't he tell him? Why didn't Kuon rely in his parents more and believe they could help him? Kuu and Julie understood that he wanted to make his own way in his career, but he didn't have to face the negative aspects, the competition and pressures, alone.

Would he have been happier if he weren't his son?

He barely heard the man next to him saying they were looking for the runner Kuon was chasing after and that the driver was also on the run. All he knew was that his beloved son was hurting so much he couldn't move. What was going to happen to him?

* * *

Bail was hardly necessary. Judges and psychologists, along with lawyers, only had to observe Kuon for a few minutes to know he wasn't able to do anything more than sit and be still right then. Since all the young men Kuon fought had records and he had no priors, they gave him a very lenient sentence: 30 days of rehab. Kuu explained that he couldn't function outside their home, so they agreed to put the teen under house arrest with a live in psychologist to oversee his progress.

Kuon didn't have any.

The only reason he moved at all was because his father would take his hand and tell him in a soft voice what had to be done. He drank water like he was told to, but hardly ate a think when a meal was set in front of him. He didn't really sleep either, even though he laid on his bed when he was told and closed his eyes.

When he did sleep, it was the only time he made any noise. Each time, Kuu heard him scream out and ran to his boy's room. Kuon writhed on his bed, crying and shaking as he relived that night's events, with no salvation in sight. His father would gather him in his arms and hold him for as long as the nightmare continued, running his hand through his hair and shushing his many apologies. Every one of those nights were torture. If only Julie's tour was over...

When the thirty days ended, the psychologist took off the ankle monitor with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. His trauma... It's beyond me."

"I understand." Kuu bowed to her respectfully, dropping back into his childhood habits on accident due to recent events. He was at wits end. Kuon heard and obeyed him, but it was like a robot had replaced him. The boy was getting thinner too.

One week before Julie was set to return home from her extensive fashion tour, he finally broke down. Kuon stopped eating entirely, barely drank anything, did not sleep, and his pets no longer came to his side. Kuu could not bear to see him like this and needed help, fast. He did the only thing he could when he was lost.

He called his old boss for help.

In two days the man was in his house, dressed rather conservatively for him. And for once he was deadly serious. Despite that, Kuu felt he could relax with him nearby. "Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for remembering me." Tarakada Lory looked over to the boy just sitting in the corner, staring off into nothing. His father had an almost normal sized meal in front of him, eating hungrily as they talked. "So... how did this happen?"

Sighing heavily, Kuu threw his pride out the window. "I didn't listen to your advice about Hollywood I guess. I should have kept a closer eye on what was happening to Kuon."

He told him as much as he could, about Kuon's acting career, about what he heard lately about the bullying, about Rick and Tina, and finally about that night Kuon became violent before the accident. "He's been like this since that night, and nothing I do helps. No one really blames him for the accident and the judge was really lenient for his assault charges. Since he's a teenager, everything will be expunged when he turns eighteen, so there won't be any more legal ramifications if he keeps his nose clean. In the eyes of the law, and even society, he's a victim more than a criminal."

"But in his mind?"

Kuu was silent for a long moment, dreading his own answer. "I think he wants to die. He won't talk unless he's having a nightmare, and lately he isn't sleeping. He stopped eating. He doesn't move unless I take his hand, and I've had to pull harder each day. I... I don't know what to do."

His head went into his hands as he desperately tried to stop tears from pouring down his face. This was his son! His adorable, cute, shining son! He'd do anything for him! And yet... he could do nothing to save him. "Boss... please! Tell me! How can I save my son?"

The president watched him for a long moment before looking back to the kid. Frowning, he thought it over before speaking. "From what I can see, Kuon has lost his ability to love himself. Without that, he can't survive as a human being. If he hates himself this much, then there is nothing you can do."

"But I-"

"The only reason he hasn't taken his own life directly is because of his love for you." He looked back to the actor, driving the point home. "He still responds to your voice and touch, even if its power is ending. There's enough of his consciousness to keep you from suffering like that. Yet he can't bring himself to live. Likely believes he doesn't have the right to be happy. He needs a reason for living."

"So what do I do?" Kuu would do anything, pay anything, if only to have his son back. He couldn't count the times he held his boy in that state and started crying, begging for him to speak to him, to smile. He wanted to skype a conversation between the two of them and Julie, but he couldn't bring himself to let her see him like this. Every day was painful. "How can I help him?"

"You can't."

The declaration struck him so hard, he lost his appetite. "What?"

"Kuon needs a purpose," Boss stated evenly. "He needs to claw out of that darkness on his own. There isn't anything you can do."

"How can you-"

"How good is his Japanese?" The question confused Kuu enough to stutter to a stop.

"Ah... he speaks like a native but he doesn't know kanji. How is that-"

"How good is he in school?"

A growl started in the actor's throat. "Third in his class, and he skipped a year. What does that have to-"

"Good. He can finish online. This should work out perfectly." Getting off his stool, Tarakada started marching towards the vacant teen.

"What should work out?!" Kuu chased after him, demanding answers. He pulled the man back harshly, forcing him to answer his questions at last. "What are you planning?!"

"On giving him a new life." The cold look he gave his former employee stopped him short. What? "Kuon no longer wants to live. If he stays in this state, he will go nowhere, wither, and die. He needs to move, to have a reason to move. It will likely take years for him to fully recover as a human being, but at the very least he will start moving again. If he's as serious an actor as you are that is.

"I'm taking him back to Japan."

Too shocked to speak, Lory strode pass the famous actor and to the virtual unknown who no longer moved. President Takarada loomed over the frozen teen, demanding his attention. "Do you want to break out of there? If you intend to do so, I will set the stage."

Somehow his voice reached Kuon when no one else's did. His head raised from his chest and saw him for the first time, listening to every word. "Just cover up your whole background and try to become a different person, a better actor than your father, in the country where he was born and raised. Whether your anonymous self can open up the way to climb to the top, and whether you, as an actor, can once again step upon the land of your home country, depends on your own ability. I won't help you in any way with anything work related.

"How about it? Will you try it?"

Kuu just stared as his son seemed to change before him. Kuon only stared at Boss for a second, listening to every word and soaking them in. A fire sparked in his eyes, no longer frozen though still damaged. "What do I do?"

A smirk played on the man's face. "Grab you passport. We're leaving in five."

Just like a kid, he jumped onto his feet and sprinted for what he needed. Kuu jerked in surprise, both at what his old boss said and at the response his son gave. Just one offer and he was back? Like that? '_Wait... five minutes?!_' "Boss! You can't take h-"

"If we wait any longer, he will wither away and die." The glare coming from the man didn't silence him like it normally would. This was his _son!_ There was no force on earth that would make him back down from his son!

"I understand that! But Kuon's still a minor! He can't-"

"Am I not his Godfather?" The statement struck him as reason continued to come into play. "I have legal guardianship over him until he turns eighteen. We can work out the details after we're back in Japan."

"But-"

"Kuon needs a clean break from his past. Nothing can connect his new self to it this life. How else will he be able to move forward if he can't shut it away?"

"Just wait until Julie gets back!" As much as they wanted to save their son, they did not want to lose him. Julie might actually die if she couldn't see their son. "It'll only be a few days and-"

"Would you make me a liar?" Lory glared dangerously at the panicked father, threatening him. "You said so yourself that Kuon experienced the worst of this acting world. I will not be counted among that by lying to him. I'm taking him to Japan immediately, no questions. It's not like the police will stop us from leaving, is it?"

Stunned, Kuu could only admit that the only thing keeping his son back was the love he and his wife had for him. But... "Please! Just a few days! Give us a chance to send him off!"

"I'll keep you updated on his progress."

"Boss-!" Kuu stopped mid thought when he spotted his son coming towards them, looking only at the president. A light was in his eyes, but they were still murky, jaded by the world. No expression, but a fire was lit. It scared him how much his son had changed since he was little. He could hear his heart breaking as he strode forward. "Kuon..."

"Let's go."

That was all Kuon said before leaving with Takarada. His father couldn't say a word more as his world crashed around him. His son barely acknowledged his existence now. He didn't even leave a message for his mother. No apologies, no nothing. He just walked away.

Kuu watched his retreating form until he was long out of sight, then fell to his knees in his front garden, listless. His son was gone and there was nothing more he could do. "Kuon..."

* * *

He didn't hear anything from his old boss for two months, but by then Julie had already stopped talking to him. When word finally did come, it was in a phone call. Julie wouldn't come and listen in, too consumed by grief and anger to do anything at that moment. Still, Kuu stayed nearby her as they spoke.

"_Kuon's doing better physically if that's any consolation._" President Takarada's voice was in business mode, which suited him fine. "I_ had a tightlipped nutritionist help him eat and regain his strength, but I don't think he'll ever have your appetite._"

"He never did."

"_Doesn't seem to have a meal preference either. I only convinced him to eat and sleep through reason. If he wants to be an international actor, he needs to take care of his body. He's also studying like a maniac. I think I can arrange for early high school graduation exams so don't worry about that. He seems to have a firm grasp on Japanese history and ideology, so he's doing well. All he does is study and obey the nutritionist's instructions though. Does he have any interests he can carry over to his new identity?_"

"He's good with animals," Kuu murmured, "and he loves nature. He helped the gardener a lot."

"_That's good. It'll go with his new character._"

"What do you mean by new character?" That was something he had wondered. Just what was Boss' plan for helping Kuon?

"_While he's here, Kuon will be going under a stage name. One that will remake his life._" He idea struck the man, confusing him to no end. What? "T_hink of it as therapy. Kuon hates himself, so he needs to make a self that he can be proud of, that he can love. If he acts as such long enough, it will become his new self. Make it 'til you make it I believe is the phrase. He's going to be the perfect gentleman from now on: kind to everyone, soft spoken, and never loses his temper. He won't hurt anyone ever again._"

"I see." Honestly he wasn't worried about that. Kuon attracted animals to him and calmed children easily. That was not an acting skill, but something the other party sensed about him, drawing close to him without thinking. It was a characteristic of a kind and soothing soul. It was the harshness of the world that made him fight back like that. Removed from that, there wouldn't be a threat of him returning to that state.

"_He's going to keep his past mysterious,_" Boss went on, "_so that when he accomplishes his goals, no one can say he lied about his past. That means he won't let himself be identified as your son until he's able to go head to head with you._"

"That's fine." This was something he came to terms with already. "Though it breaks my heart... No matter what pranks the gods may pull, no one must know we're father and son. He needs a chance to stand on his own, proudly. I won't do anything to hurt his chances."

"_Hm. Good. Kuon pretty much said the same thing. He won't return to the US or to you two until he succeeds._"

"I see..." He smiled sadly, torn that they wouldn't be able to contact each other directly anymore. His son was spirited away and wouldn't return for some time. "Who should I keep an eye out for now? We still want to watch his progress when he makes his debut."

"_Tsuruga Ren._"

"Tsuruga Ren?" The name was very Japanese, like his birth name, but at least no one in the US would mispronounce his 'given' name. That always annoyed him. "How did-"

Without warning, Julie swept in and snatched the phone from his hand and started yelling at the man on the other end. "I swear if anything happens to my baby I will kill you Lory! I will get my cousins and uncles and we will storm LME to your office and show you Russian justice! You won't have legs to stand on! If I don't get my son back in one piece, there won't be a hole deep enough to hide you! I'll follow you to the moon if I have to! Remember he's only on loan to you! The second he reaches his goals, I am taking him back! And no forces on this earth or any other realm will stop me!"

With that she fiercely turned off the phone and threw it aside. Glaring an inferno, she turned on her husband. He took a hesitant step back before she grabbed onto his hands and made her fiery demands. "Tell me everything that kidnapper said about my Kuon! And don't leave out a word! I want to know exactly how my baby's doing!"

Caught between laughter and relief, Kuu smiled weakly and gave into her demands. No matter how much it hurt to let go of their boy, it was clear they'd do whatever it took to make sure he was happy. More than their needs, Kuon came first. They would wait. They would wait for him to return.

END

* * *

A/N: heh, I took a lot of lines from the manga towards the end. May have strung out how long Kuon was in that lifeless state, but it was all I could think of that made sense with the law. Maybe Julie was off on fashion week or some other job, but it was clear she wasn't in town to help during the fiasco. She has quite a temper, which is where I think Kuon got his. She's also threatening him with her Russian relatives who are likely less squeamish about hurting people than her husband. I've chalked Kuon's state to guilt and shock like for young soldiers in a war, and honestly the reaction comes from whether they are good people to begin with or not. Animals and young children gather around those people a lit easier than the dark aggressive types. So whether Ren realizes it or not, at the core he's still that good kid who met Kyoko all those years ago. Shouldn't be long now before he finally accepts it.

Then you have poor Kuu dealing with everyone and being helpless... poor guy...

I hope you've liked! Sorry if anyone cried. Please leave a comment. ;] Laters.


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